Health software in the digital era has completely introduced a sea of change into healthcare already, and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. With the introduction of specialized electronic medical record (EMR) technology, hospitals, outpatient clinics and healthcare organizations have better and more complete access to secure patient records without the insecurities of paper tracking. But EMR technology is about far more than convenience. In fact, it’s transforming the way we practice medicine right now, and here are three huge ways in which patient care stands to benefit.
1. More Accessible Data is Making it Easier to Diagnose Patients
The use of digital medical records has changed how healthcare providers aggregate their data. As providers migrate from older paper systems to new digital ones, two major factors have changed the way that patient data is handled. The first is that the practical problem of lost paper files is gone. Records are centrally collected and so it is less conceivable that authorizations, prescription records and other vital patient data could get lost. The second is that the aggregate availability of patient data makes it less likely that a healthcare provider might miss something when it comes to said data. Records that are more complete can help doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals give better, more complete diagnoses.
2. A Combination of Better Data Collection and Private Data Segregation is Creating More Accurate General Health Profiles
Another aspect of this data collection is that it allows for greater collective profiles. While patient identity is obviously protected by private privilege, the collection of generic non-private data (such as prevalence of illness or injuries in a statistical area) is now suddenly completely visible to healthcare providers and can be used in everything from seasonal change to potential outbreaks of illness. This change will allow healthcare providers to make more consistent decisions as well as improve predictive processes (e.g. what amounts and types of medications or equipment need to be allocated in a given period). This can also be helpful in assessing health profiles in a municipal area or a region-specific scenario—providing an overview of population health.
3. EMRs Are Helping in the Decision-Making and Treatment Process
Another massive change in the way EMRs are transforming patient care is in the actual decision-making process itself. With the ability to have real-time medical information on hand, doctors faced with difficult decisions are no longer alone in trying to make the most informed decision. With modern medical tracking, it becomes easier to see which treatment strategies are successful and which ones aren’t. In addition, EMRs make pooled accessibility possible, allowing even doctors to get second opinions from other doctors at medical facilities. This will help the process of treatment become more effective overall, meaning that patients will get the best treatment options possible.
The differences are especially clear in specialized clinical settings. Using Urgent Care as an example, you have many important decisions to make to keep your facility working, meaning every minute counts when it comes to patient care. Specialized EMR Urgent Care workflows allow you to streamline patient flow, giving providers a handy view of each person’s check-in and location status along with a clear picture of the patient’s visit history at their fingertips. The best EMR systems will also limit the time providers have to spend entering vitals and prep information. After the exam, the provider can easily enter new diagnostic information into the chart and place any appropriate orders—then quickly move on to the next patient.
In the end, EMRs have massively changed how we handle healthcare. As integrated healthcare replaces older methods of record-keeping we can see a new medical industry on the horizon where patient care becomes something that can be scientifically analyzed for success rates. Even breakthrough studies now may become a thing of the past as control groups and experimental treatments become the norm. The healthcare industry as we know it is in a completely different place then it was just 20 years ago. With access to aggregate patient data, and with healthcare providers having access to courses of action which are best on the aggregate of larger swaths of the population, healthcare will be able to make strides forward that would have previously been considered inconceivable. The future is coming to healthcare, and it is one no one could have predicted with the transfer of that first file cabinet to digital records.
Keep your clinic on top of the latest health software trend with the specialized EMR solutions from Net Health. Rather than taking a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach to EMR, we enable our clients to find the right fit for their specialized outpatient care facilities with services and products perfectly tailored to their specific needs. Start changing how you meet your clinical, operational and financial needs and strengthen your patient care with the specialized EMR solutions from Net Health.